Most visitors to Oman stay pretty firmly in the section of the country around Muscat, Nizwa with the Jebel Akhdar, and Sur. There are two other very distinct areas of the country that are well worth exploring. Musandam, in the north, with its fjords and mountains is easily approached from Dubai and the UAE while visitors to Salalah and the Dhofar region in the south, the Land of Frankincense, fly in from Muscat.
The Dhofar feels a world away from the rest of the country and very different in looks and atmosphere. Being pretty isolated helps as it is 1000km to Muscat and it is hemmed in by the Arabian desert and mountainous Yemen border. This gives it a totally different feel, with the coconut palm trees swaying it almost make me think Caribbean. This is matched by the more laid back approach all around, calmer driving and slower friendlier greetings in the souks. This slightly quirky feel can equally be used to describe, as well as being explained by, the annual khareef – the summer monsoon. Here for a period of two summer months the gentle rains water the coastal plains and surrounding barrier hills, much to the delight of the Arabians visitors who flock here to escape their own heat and enjoy the rain, streams and waterfalls!
The sandy beaches are gorgeous and the sub-tropical vegetation leads to lush hotel gardens and plenty of fine fruit. The two main choices of hotels in Salalah, the Crowne Plaza Resort and Hilton Salalah Resort have now been joined by the Marriott Resort up the coast at Mirbat and the boutique Juweira with the Salalah Rotana Resort due soon – that’s plenty of options in some lovely locations. Hopefully this growth will also help encourage other flights into the region from the Gulf.
The Dhofar is much more than just a beach however with some fascinating sights and plenty to do. The mountinous coast road to Yemen, is an extraordinary sight with its mind-boggling zig-zags and the stunning beach of Al Mughsayl with its spectacular blowholes. On the way you are likely to see strange looking Frankincense trees, producer of the region wealth historically, as they rise in a haphazard fashion out of the arid terrain – the collected resin can be found throughout the souks. Behind the city the Dhofar mountains form an arc that hems in the coastal plain. Head up into them to see Job’s Tomb, in its isolated hilltop location, or up onto the escarpment where you reach the edge of the Empty Quarter. To the east you will find the remains of Sumhuran, the ancient trading port made rich on Frankincense, whose excavated ruins lie in a splendid location above the Khor Rori creek. Further along the coast lies the attractive small port of Mirbat with its distinctive wooden shuttered houses and old fort, best known for its role in the 1972 SAS siege.
If you are looking for winter sun and Oman is on your radar then contact us at Putney Travel for more advice. We would strongly recommend Dhofar and the south for those looking to get a bit more off the beaten track in Oman.
by TMS